Pay-As-You-Go versus Contract?

Choosing a Mobile Phone in today’s modern technological age is no simple matter. Should you go for an Android or Apple? Should you go for the latest model or something more old school? Most importantly, should you choose Pay-As-You-Go or sign yourself up to a Contract, tying you in for a set amount of time? There are advantages and disadvantages to both options but by better assessing exactly what you are looking for in a Mobile Phone, finding an answer doesn’t need to be rocket science!

One of the first questions you need to ask when making your decision is how much are you going to use your phone? If you are likely to text a lot, make frequent phone calls or spend a lot of time browsing the Internet, then choosing a Contract is most likely the best choice for you! It will work out cheaper in the long run than Pay-As-You-Go and you can get some really great deals if you shop around and compare what is available. On the other hand, if you are somebody who is only going to use your phone occasionally, then Pay-As-You-Go is probably the better direction to take. And some companies, such as Tesco for example, offer deals on Pay-As-You-Go whereby when you top up your phone, they will triple your credit for a month giving you extra on your balance!

Something else you need to consider is how important to you is having the latest model? By choosing Contract over Pay-As-You-Go you are given more choice over which handset you prefer with many of the more expensive designs either being offered free or at a much lower price as part of your deal. The disadvantage to this however, is that Mobile Phone tariffs are often susceptible to change and once you are tied in, the tariff you are going to pay for the remainder of your Contract is set. Also, go over your set amount of free texts and minutes and you could end up with an expensive bill at the end of the month!

Pay-As-You-Go, on the other hand, means that you are fully in control over what you spend. You can put on as much or as little credit as you like and top up whenever this runs out.

Essentially, the decision is entirely a personal choice and one that you should make based on your own needs and circumstances. My best advice would be to make a list of pros and cons and consider all your options before committing yourself to one or the other. And, even if you do find yourself tied in, remember most contracts last only a year so you can always change!